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Penne with Sausage, Peppers, and Homemade Marinara
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Penne with Sausage, Peppers, and Homemade Marinara

Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4
Author Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • Dutch oven
  • Immersion Blender
  • Large skillet
  • Large pot

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce:

  • 7 miscellaneous tomatoes quartered
  • Large handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 head of garlic DO NOT REMOVE SKINS
  • ½ yellow onion cut into large chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
  • ¼ tsp dried basil or more to taste
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano or more to taste
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper more if you want a spicy sauce
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
  • Pinch of sugar to taste

Other Ingredients:

  • 5 turkey or pork Italian sausages cooked, then sliced into chunks
  • 4 baby bell peppers sliced
  • ½ yellow onion sliced
  • 8 oz penne pasta prepared al dente, per instructions
  • Fresh basil chopped
  • Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; line a baking sheet with foil, then coat with olive oil cooking spray.
  • Quarter the tomatoes, cut the onions, and break up the head of garlic (KEEP SKINS ON SO THEY DON'T BURN).
  • Spread the tomatoes (except for the cherry tomatoes), onions, and garlic all over the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with dried basil, oregano, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste; toss to coat.
  • Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes.
  • Roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are really soft and the tomatoes are still juicy. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Once cooled, carefully peel the skin from the garlic cloves.
  • Spoon the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and juices into a small Dutch oven. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables until smooth, making sure there are no chunks. Simmer for 1-2 hours.
  • Cook the turkey Italian sausages in a large skillet over medium heat until they are cooked through. Remove from the skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet, and cook the peppers and onion until soft and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season the peppers with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
  • Remove the sauce and slice.
  • Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, according to the package instructions, then drain.
  • Add the marinara to the drained penne, along with the sausage, peppers, and fresh basil, then toss to coat evenly.
  • Top with Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy.